South Carolina Books

While the book was satisfactory ,I was severly disapointed in the FREE stuff that was supposed to come with it as per the add. NO where did the add say you would have to download them, We do not have high speed internet available where I live. And if I had known the free offers had to be downloaded I would not have ordered. I have tried several times to get them downloaded and have only succeeded on 2 of the files.

Loved the book. Provided an all encompassing view of many independent actions. A really smooth read over summer vacation.

Times of the Civil War is one of the most complete reference books on the American Civil War that I've ever seen. This book discusses in detail 384 of the Major Battles of the war. For ease of understanding, these battles are organized according to the five major theatres of fighting: Main Eastern; Main Western; Lower Seaboard and Gulf Approach; Trans-Mississippi; and Pacific Coast. Battles are written about in chronological order in each of these sections so that the reader can see the overall progression of the war in the various battle theatres.

The organization of this book really helps in understanding the complex nature of various regional battles into a more national context of the overall war. However, the aspect of this book that impresses me most is the actual individual battle sections. Each battle includes summaries that outline when and where each battle occurred as well as a list of principal commanders, forces engaged, estimated casualties, and a general description of the actual battle. Most of the sections also include replica illustrations, letters, and newspaper clippings associated with that particular battle. Reading about the war (and the debates going on off the battlefield) from those actually living the situation not only made the war come alive but also gave me extra insight into the actual issues of the war.

When I read Times of the Civil War I was struck by the sense of patriotism that the New York Times and the Charleston Mercury had for the Union cause and for the Confederacy, respectively. I realized that we don't see this in the press today. Perhaps that was what the author intended with Times of the Civil War, to take us back to another era when newspapers were as much a part of the national cause as was the army.

Don Bracken, the author, takes the reader into the battles of the past with the historical perspective of today, sandwiched in between the often opposing accounts of the Times and the Mercury. You get to see what the people of that era were led to believe, and what the reality actually was. It's a good book for the individual who wants a feel for the times and an overall understanding of the Civil War.

TIMES OF THE CIVIL WAR contains everything you could ever possibly want to know about the Civil War. When I first saw this book, it appeared to be more of a textbook or reference book rather than non-fiction reading material. Quite large with 644 pages (including index and bibliography), it details every campaign and skirmish during this troubling time and lets the reader actually see the war from both sides of the battlefield. It's concise, organized, and in many instances is written from a journalistic standpoint.

Don Bracken lists each battle in a summarizing inventory. Name of battle, other names, location, campaign, principal commanders, forces engaged, estimated casualties, and a description give in-depth detail to each. Some contain "results" of how the battle affected the war. The descriptions are mostly facts but a few have interesting tidbits tossed in that I found quite interesting.

What I found most fascinating were the journal/diary entries giving insight as to what the soldiers and commanders were thinking, the conditions that they endured, and a first hand account of what was happening. These also list the officers killed during the battles, and those wounded (specifying the wounds, e.g. "wounded in the abdomen", "wounded in the hand", etc.). These journal entries gave a human side of the battles. "It is impossible to form an accurate idea of the loss on either side, as the firing is still going on, rendering it extremely difficult to remove the killed and wounded." The descriptions of this bring images to mind that are more vivid than a faceless soldier enduring things unimaginable at times.

Also included are excerpts from newspapers with stories of the battles. You can see the various accounts and how slanted the reporting could be. The Enquirer and The Whig actually thought of General Lee as "noble and invincible". There are also various accounts from correspondents covering the war for a variety of newspapers. These cover everything from embalming the dead to intricate details of the various battles.

Having learned about the civil war in high school and again in college, reading TIMES OF THE CIVIL WAR, made me realize that I knew very little about that war. I never realized what factors played a role in the battles - things like weather, timely arrival of messages from Washington and other commanders in the field, the dispatching of surgeons and medical supplies, all added to the outcome.

There hasn't been another book written with as many facts and details about the Civil War as this book, so if you're interested in the Civil War, then this is the book for you. It's a must have for civil war enthusiasts, students in a civil war history class, and those who enjoy learning about the history of the United States.

A good book, but seemed to be a bit biased towards Jacob's home state of GA. They had the most comprehensive reviews and got more waters than others. To his credit, it is still a good read with some decent information on access points. I'd recommend a book more concentrated to the area you are going, but for all regions of Southern Appalachia, this is not bad considering there is not many books that cover this many miles of trout waters.

If Jimmy Jacobs has written a book on a subject of interest to you, buy it. His guide books on southern trout fishing are thorough, concise and leave the reader prepared to catch fish regardless of the destination. He gives you all the information you need to be in position to succeed...the rest is up to you.

The author's knowledge of the territory, exact locations and land marks is very helpful. He does not go in to much, if any, detail about insect life in the streams. Overall a very good book in rating streams, fishing quality, and helping you get there.

This book provides the most comprehensive guide to the fishing streams in North and South Carolina. It is a great resource and each description has a map number so each is very easy to locate.

Just spent three days fishing in the GSMNP in eastern Tennessee, and found Mr. Jacobs book to be right on target. A lot of the information can be found from local flyshops, but his book really helped plan our trip in advance. Coupling this book with local advice is a formula for success.

Mary Lee Settle has the gift of making a character come to life with just a snippet of dialogue or description. The title character, Addie, is Ms. Settle's grandmother. She is a beautiful, very religious girl of simple country stock. Terribly abused by her first husband, she is hiding from him in a tree, when Jesus comes to her and tells her that she doesn't have a lick of sense and hasn't she ever heard of divorce! She finally does leave her husband for the wealthiest bachelor in town, a member of the landed gentry. As a divorced woman she is the scandal of the town and is never accepted by her new husband's family. Addie preseveres but like most of us never has an entirely easy life. Her story is just the starting point for this very engaging memoir about a Southern family.

As one who has written several family histories, I am intrigued with the idea of writing autobiography and putting it into the family history by beginning a generation or so before birth of the subject. This makes for a firm foundational picture of what the subject is born into and must learn to live with. Mary Lee Settle did a masterful job of showing the conditioning that goes into survival in a West Virginia family based on the marriage of lower caste Addie, her grandmother, to upper caste Preston, her grandfather. It is a clear, telling picture of growing up in the grey area of the depression years.

Addie is the story that the author unearthed as she researched the life of her grandmother. Untangling fact from legend and downright lies, Ms. Settle tells the story of a woman trapped in an abusive marrage at the age of 15, who Jesus told to get divourse as she hid in a tree. Addie lived in Kanawha County W.Va.the story of her life, loves and defeats blended with the social history of the times and the coal fields of the region. The author writes with a wonderful use of the language that is tinged with a taste of the South. This is the sort of book we all would love to write about one of our grandmothers.

What a gift Ms. Settle has! I could smell the wash on the line and dream in the back porch hammock. How wonderfully she evokes childhood with our oh so literal evaluations of the mysterious adults. To paraphrase e.e. cummings,--down we forget as up we grow--.but not so with Ms. Settle. The author draws sharply defined characters except for her own mother, interestinly enough. I sense a lot of unresolved feelings where her own mother is concerned; she's angry but tries to be fair. Addie, the grandmother, is in bright relief in contrast to the sharp and shadowy mother. Addie's self-righteous neighbor snorted over the misbehavior of a certain attractive young women. Addie's response: "I guess if you're not pretty, you're not tempted." says volumes.

This was a very special personal find for me. I can't wait to read other books written by Ms. Settle. An excellent writer, researcher, storyteller. I know Cedar Grove well, the town where Miss Addie lived. The history, for anyone in the Kanawha Valley, alone is worth checking out this book. But I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a story that flows so well that you can't wait to read the next page. The account of history, the personal relationships, the writer's command of the written word...not one line was wasted... and it makes one think about their own grandparents and those before them. I loved the book. I will definitely read Ms. Settle's eariler books.

Armies have to learn to fight as more than an armed mob. Officers have to learn how to fight their command too. Missing these classes makes all the drill worhless and a defeate possible. US Grant understood this and Belmont is his first training class for himself and his army. This small battle is either overlooked, ignored or used as an example of Grant being beaten on the field. All of those ideas are the wrong approach to understanding this battle. Was it important to the war? Not really. Was it important for giving semi-trained troops a taste of combat and instilling in them the habit of victory? Yesand this was Grant's objective. When he had accomplished his objective, he pulled back. Did everything go well? No, some officers didn't control their men, some men went off on tangents, orders were missed and a series of small problems made for a harder day than planned.

All of the above makes for a good story and Nathaniel Hughes Jr. tells it well. After laying a good foundation, he takes us through each phase of the battle telling us what is going well and what isn't. Move and counter move occupy the book as Polk & Pillow, move to first stop and then try to destroy the Union invader.

A series of good well placed maps allow us to follow the action. A series of illustrations place faces to the names. Coupled with good clear writting make this an enjoyable and informative reading experience. This is a very good book about one of the small battle of the Civil War.

This is an excellent synopsis of the Battle of Belmont. Belmont was a relatively small battle on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Though small, Belmont was important, partly because it was the first battle fought by General Grant. The writing style of the book is clear and easy to follow. There are 10 high quality maps, 7 that cover the battle itself. It is easy to correlate the maps and the text to keep track of units and their movements.

Hughes writes in an interesting style. Instead of describing the battle from start to finish in a linear fashion, he switches back and forth between the Union and Confederate perspective. That is, he covers one part of the battle from the Federal point of view, then switches to the Confederate point of view and describes the events again. This approach could easily have come across poorly or been confusing. Instead, it leads to a very balanced and in depth account of the battle. I highly recommend this book to Civil War enthusiasts.

For many Americans the Civil War consisted of battles at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Manassas, Antietam, Shiloh and a few other major battles. What is often overlooked are the smaller engagements than provide the glue that strings together the major battles. It is also in early small battles that generals like Grant, Lee and Jackson learn valuable lessons that pay dividends in subsequent battles.
The Battle of Belmont is one such battle. As the other reviewers have noted this battle is best known as Grant's first battle of the war. It would prove a training ground for Grant and his men. Grant learned much from this battle.
In some ways, Belmont is a smaller version of Shiloh with the sides reversed. Like at Shiloh, an army was surprised and their camps captured while the men fled to cover along the river bank. Like at Shiloh the attackers failed to drive the defenders into the river and win a clear cut victory. Like at Shiloh the defenders then went on the offensive and drove the attackers back.
Given the similarities between these two battles, what did Grant learn at Belmont that would help him at Shiloh? 1) Grant learned that being caught by surprise and being pushed back to a river did not necessarily mean defeat. 2) Grant learned the importance of rallying your troops and counter attacking. 3) Grant learned the importance of following up on an initial success and aggressively pursuing your opponent. These lessons would serve Grant well at Shiloh and future battles as he continued to learn from his mistakes. However, Grant did not learn all the lessons that could have been learned at Belmont - eg. his surprise at Shiloh.
Mr. Hughes has written a fine book that makes sense out of the chaos of combat. The text is easy to read and there are helpful maps.

This book is one of those that combines clear fact, with interesting narrative and extremely useful maps. The book quickly sets the stage and highlights some of the more unknown aspects of the early years of the war for control of the north central Mississippi River. The reader quickly learns the importance of Cairo, Illinois to the course of the war as well as the CSA defenses in Columbus, Kentucky (which is one of the few remaining areas of the original battle that one can visit).

And of course, this is U.S. Grant's debut. He conducts a pretty tight little campaign until victory in the CSA camp causes his troops to run amok (Jubal Early would experience a similar problem at Cedar Creek). The quick reinforcement of fresh Confederates from the Kentucky side puts Grant to rout back to his small flotilla and back to Cairo.

The Battle of Belmont is a fascinating study of combined arms, logistics and some pretty good tactical movements. Certainly, there aren't too many battles in the Civil War where both sides win and lose and where both land troops from the river.

Ultimately this is an engaging and interesting read about a little known battle that taught some valuable lessons to U.S. Grant.

For the more serious Civil War buffs, it is also one of the first excursions of the union gun boats, Lexington and Tyler, both of which will see more well remembered service at Shiloh.

This book offers the reader a well researched and presented account of the Battle of Belmont, the first battle in the Western Theatre and one of the first battles fought by Ulysses S. Grant. The book covers Grants attack on the Southern forces under the command of Leonidas Polk and Gideon Pillow at Belmont on the Mississippi River in Missouri on the 7th of November 1861. The maps in the book are easy to understand and guide the reader through the fighting, the narrative runs smoothly and offers a good overview of this battle. There is extensive notes and bibliography to assist the reader with further studies. Overall a decent book covering this battle of the American Civil War. An enjoyable read.

I've read the original South Carolina Volumes of the WPA Slave Narratives that this book was edited from. This book could have been a whole lot better. While the current editor did a good job of making the SC African-American dialect more accessible to lay readers (even she admits to having trouble with printed versions of this dialect), many of the better stories were either highly edited or left out, such as Elijah Green's Reconstruction Narrative that was heavily edited and Isreal Nesbitt's recollections of the Vesey Rebellion, which aren't included.

However, to the layman and non-historian, this is a good start in understanding slavery from the sources. Some interesting stories do remain, such as the Union County narrative about the Ku Klux Klan. So it's good for starters. The Tennessee and Georgia anthologies in this series are better, though.

This book was given to me by my social studies teacher as an extra credit reading assignment, so I read it just for the credit thinking that I would hate it. Little did I know how many metaphors and parallels to my life I would find. When I finished the book, I could not believe what some slaves had gone through. There were many theories that came out of this book, including that for many slaves, freedom was a two-edged sword. Yet to figure out what I mean by that, you will have to read the book yourself! I would strongly recommend this book to any 8th grade social studies teachers teaching the Civil War who want to make an impact on their students and wake them up to realize that history repeats itself and that the "killing of an old person is like the burning of a book in a library" - Mrs. Mahoney (my awesome 8th grade social studies teacher)!

A fantastic book that reveals the details of slave life through personal interviews of former slaves. Throw away the history books, forget what you learned in social studies, this is real. The book is printed using the dialects of the interviewees, so you almost feel as if you can hear the person speaking. A great read. Difficult to put it down once you pick it up.

Belinda Hurmence is a excilent editor. It was a great idea to have this book published. It describes a lot of interesting situations. If you like books on slavery buy this one You will learn alot on the subject.

This book was a very realistic view into the lives of slaves. I have gotten a better feel for the lives slaves through this book more than any other. It is well put together.

This novel should be read by more people. It was a great work of historical fiction that made my heart smile for the Africans working/fighting for freedom during the Civil War. Based on true events, this novel should make all Americans proud.

I found this story captivating. It is rare that any story intriques me like this, but I literally coundn't put it down. An excellent title for student reports

I found this story captivating. It is rare that any story intriques me like this, but I literally coundn't put it down. An excellent title for student reports

Fragments of the Ark is a novel that reminded me of the subject matter I had seen in the movies "Glory" and "The Autobiography from Miss Jane Pittman". Only this time, the author educates and enlightens the reader through the eyes of the lead character, Peter Mango. We journey from the Civil War Army and Navy skirmishes along coastal South Carolina to the political battles waged in the White House. The uniqueness of the tale is it is told from the African-American point of view and the author does a good job sticking to the facts and of divulging how former slaves and freedmen fought for their rights and freedom during a very tumultuous time.

The story opens with Mango, a riverboat pilot forced into service by the Confederate Navy, orchestrating a nighttime flight to freedom by impersonating the Captain of the Confederate gunboat and taking the slave crew and their families to freedom by surrendering the ship to the Union Navy. He becomes a war hero and serves with the Union eventually being promoted to Captain of the stolen ship. His adventures are shared and history is told with a colorful cast of characters-all of whom are virtually in the same situation but each individual deals uniquely with their emotions when human issues such as separation from family; reclamation of lost family; freedom from slavery; fear of recapture and return to slavery, the legacy of master/slave relationships, etc. surface throughout the novel. We also see Peter and the cast dealing with the confusion and unfairness of the Confederate and Union government's fluctuating policies and ordinances of the era. She really conveys the realism and anguish that the African Americans of the time must have felt as a result of the attitude and treatment toward black soldiers, Lincoln's positions regarding the slaves, and the politics of the antebellum South that severely disenfranchised former slaves.

Meriweather does not sugar-coat the atrocities of war and the inhumanity of slavery, instead she recounts documented history in such a way that the reader feels the fear that stems from the uncertainty, hatred, and anxiety of the slave character's environment. Laced with historical accounts, the novel substantiates the important role the black soldiers played in the Civil War and in American History. The reader also lifts from the pages the resolve and determination of an oppressed people--people who were tired of being abused, people who embraced freedom, people who were determined to prove their worth, people who sought justice and equality, and people who were willing to die to obtain it.

I couldn't put the book down and I ended up finishing the book within a week from receiving it from this website. I really got a taste of how it was back during the American Revolution between the North and South. Also, how the slaves were treated and how they escaped from the South to become cadets and fight for peace. I give Louise Meriwether much luck in her future books, if any, and I'll look out for them so I can read them as well.

I found the referances to news articals and the record of the trial to make the make the sory very moving. If anyone would like to "feel" what it was like during that time the is a great read.

I purchased this book under the thought that it was a story about the black people that inherited the land from the sisters but it was more about the people that made up that area. It was too long in explanations and backgrounds.

It was not what I expected. I can not recommend it.

The author is obviously passionate about this true story about a southern jury during the days of Jim Crow which ruled in favor of a black family which was willed 800 acres of land by two white women. It reflects honestly what life was like, the patronizing attitudes of white people who considered themselves friends of black, and the integrity of a rural community which was not influenced by the prejudices prevalent in society at that time. Great read!

A writing teacher and former reporter puts together all of the elements of good fiction into an extremely well- researched factual account of events that rip a community and intra-family relationships apart. Racial tension and a trial that doesn't turn out like anyone would have predicted climax a detailed study that is anthropologically dissected in plain English. It is not what one would expect to read about a rural North Carolina community in the time period between the Civil War and the 1920s but it did happen and that's the fascination of this book.

Many people who live outside the south think all southern white people treat their "darkies" as slaves, even years following the War of Agression. Little do they know just how well the relationship between whites and blacks has been because very few yankees ever heard of facts that told just how well the situations were and are. This book tells the story of just how well that regard is and was. This book needs to be read by all schoolchildren and their parents all over the United States to point out that racism is not just a thing of the south, but is more rampant everywhere as well as in the yankee north than one would suppose. Why did not the northern newspapers outside of North Carolina pick up this story when it was reported almost daily in 1921 by the Charlotte Observer during the trial? I suppose it was way too painful for the northern states to be faced with the fact that their forebears had been so very wrong about the way black men had been treated by the southerners. Oh, yes! Slavery of any one is wrong, but the yankees took it to extremes. And yes, there was bad treatment by many southern slaveholders, but not all. And to fight a war, killing thousands because of it, many in cold blood, was also wrong.
This book is an excellent read and one that should be read by all, young and old, black and white alike.
I had the privilege of attending the book signing in the very same courthouse in the very same courtroom in Monroe, NC where the trial was held. Afterwards, I had the distinct pleasure of touring the very same house owned by the Ross sisters, pictured on the cover of the book, (not on any tour). The house has been bought and is being restored by the great granddaughter of the builder of the house.
I highly recommend that you buy and read this book and offer it to your teenage children to also read and then discuss it with them. Anne Medlin Sendgikoski, Cartersville, GA

This guide is full of information and was extremely beneficial on my first trip to the Outer Banks. The chapters and index are well organized and easy to navigate. Have also used the Charleston book from the same series.

The Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Outer Banks was the best book I found for our trip there this summer. Every source we used from the book was accurate and helpful.

When I bought this book I was not sure if it would really be helpfully for us and our first trip to the Outer Banks. It was great! We used it everyday. Before we went somewhere we looked at it as reference. It helped us eat everyday in the Outer Banks plus do a little shopping. I am glad I bought it now, it helped us have one of the best vacations we ever had. I can't wait for the next edition because I think we are going back again and again to the Outer Banks and a updated version will help us prepare for any changes since our last visit.

This book is fantastic! It gives a very detailed description about everything you'd need for a wonderful trip to the Outer Banks.

I especially like the way it's laid out, with each section going "north to south". For example, the restaurants section starts at the north end of the islands and works its way down to the very south. Same with accommodations, etc.

It also definitely gives you a "feel" for the place - telling the type of vibe each community has and what the general demographics are.

Highly recommended!

Went to the Outer Banks recently, and bought this book and took it with us. The book turned out to be indispensable for our three-family vacation...from fishing to creating stain-glass mosaics, this guide has a description of it all!

Highly recommended!

I helped teach history classes that used this book and I have to admit: it wasn't universally popular among undergrads. But you'll find that you can return to Lemon Swamp time after time and still find it as rich as ever - it's almost impossible to exhaust the insights Fields presents, simply by letting a woman tell her stories. You'll learn more every time you open the book.

Ms. Fields has a wonderful story-telling ability, that brings you into her world so that you too, can look out at her world. You don't have to be a woman, young or black to be on her side, and see the pride and dignity with which she and her "people" thrived in that stifling time and place.

Even for a guy like me, I liked this book. It reads like Mamie is talking to you. There's a lot of history here and landscape of the Carolina low country. For someone like myself coming from a white monoculture (Oregon) the lives of these black folks is very instructive and inspiring

The Lemon Swamp made me recollect warm thoughts of my own grandparents,esp.my Grandmother. Some of Mamie G. Fields's remembrances are very enjoyable to read and often have cultural or a historical significance. Her comparisons of Boston and Charleston during the 1976 Bicentennial were quite interesting. Despite I am not a black woman I could identify with her in terms of the older generation of my family. I've now lived in Charleston area for approx. 15 years and I feel more at home here than I did growing up in New England.A MUST READ BOOK!

There are not enough stars on this site to rate this book. I read it continuously until I was done and then wanted more. Although it is easy reading and gentle on the spirit, this book is an anthology of events important to the history of African Americans and Black home life of a more genteel time. I wish it was required reading for everyone. It certainly would do much to clarify the problems African Americans have had in this society. It is also very humorous and not all facts and dates. Actually, the author, who appears to be a warm and nurturing person, supplies dates and figures so subtly that they do not interfere with the reading. I am buying another copy as a gift. If I were still teaching, I would certainly have this book on my reading list and every student would have to read it until they got it...

If, in your Civil War studies, you have ignored just how the manufacturing blighted South was able to equip its field forces, than you need to spend some time with this work. Lifeline of the Confederacy has all the answers: Steam propelled, mostly iron hulled ships manufactured, and crewed, in England. This was no mean feat. Its was the logistical event of the Civil War. These ships were the cigarette boats of the day, relying on shallow drafts, speed and stealth to out run and on many cases, out fox, the Union blockading squadrons.

Operating along the entire southern coast, from Hampton Rhodes to Galveston, these greyhounds made hundreds and hundreds of landings, proving the Union blockade quite porous for much of the war. As a result of their efforts and heroics, this massive Atlantic shipping venture provided all of the war material necessary to enable Lee and company to thwart Union advances for four long, weary years. Highlighted with numerous maps, some quite detailed, and listing the names of more than 300 blockade runners, this work analyses the impact of blockade running on the Southern war effort. This is a most complete and readable account.

This is an excellent account of a facinating subject. However a word of WARNING. Buy a hardcover copy as the binding on the paperback edition is the worst I have ever seen. It broke immediately. But I now have a HB copy for my library.

Stephen Wise, the author of Gate of Hell: Campaign for Charleston Harbor, 1863, has written another excellent book. This objective treatise about Confederate steam powered blockade running is thorough, without being exhausting to the reader. It covers the subject with ample maps, sketches/photos, tables and text. Summarizing from the book: nearly 300 steamers made 1300 attempts, of which 1,000 were successful. 221 vessels were captured or destroyed. The South imported 400,000 rifles (60%), 1/3rd of its lead, 2/3rd of its salt peter for gunpowder, as well as a great number of blankets, clothing, shoes, and leather goods.

This is not a romanticized, detailed retelling of many blockade running stories. A reader in search of such a tactically oriented story telling work would likely be disappointed. However, neither is the book simply a dry collection of statistics and organizational descriptions, for it also has concise retellings of many pertinent blockade running attempts. These accounts provide the reader with a feel for the trade, the skill and resourcefulness of the captains, and how methods evolved over time as both the blockade runners, and the blockaders improved in quality and numbers.

The book focuses almost exclusively on steam powered blockade runners, dismissing the numerous sailing ship attempts as having a negligible impact on the war effort. One of the few omissions from the book is adequate statistics and detailed explanation of why this was so (size, vulnerability, etc.)

There is a treasure trove of information in this work for anyone seeking a better understanding of the strategic aspect of arming and supplying the South. The strengths and weaknesses of the Union blockade are exposed from the vantage point of the blockade runners. Wise illustrates the failings of "King Cotton" diplomacy early in the war. He demonstrates how Southern blockade running was hampered by a lack of central control, multiple competing efforts, and over reliance on private enterprise. The South had ample opportunity early to ship cotton and bring in war materiel while the Federal blockade was a token force. Unfortunately, the Confederacy's policy of cutting off the cotton supply prevented it from effectively using its only valuable financial asset, and arms flowed in much more slowly than they should have early in the war. As a result, the rights to cotton were sold at ¼ market value rather than obtaining better compensation, and cotton bonds were discounted even more as Southern military reverses occurred.

What stands out is the transformation of Wilmington, NC from a minor developing port into the premiere deepwater port for the South, and the final lifeline for Lee's army in Virginia.

226 pages of the primary text includes 25 maps. Following that are 101 pages of detailed appendices about attempts at each port, those captured/destroyed/lost, and a summary of the known specifications for each steam blockade runner. Notes and bibliography occupy a further 50 pages. Additionally, there are 36 drawings, photos, and sketches of steamers, and prominent figures.

Note: My softcover copy does not seem to have the binding problem mentioned by another reviewer--at least not so far. I've seen that sort of problem in books before, but not in this one, so perhaps I have a different printing.

Stephen Wise has managed to both write a comprehensive history packed with information which is also very readable. Truly a remarkable feat. The book succeeds at both imparting the general course of the blockade running and the many fascinating incidents which make up the history of blockade running.

Stephen R. Wise's opus on the blockade runners is not to be missed! He ably describes the blockade itself, the ships and men that challenged it, and backs it all up with valuable charts and tables. Truly definitive.